“Luca” is Pixar at its most delicate, an immaculately structured story that might not be the grandest the studio has released, but is one of the most honest. There’s a humanism between the moments of humor and fantasy that anchors the film and makes it a must-watch, and not just for Pixar fans.

A dumb movie can be good as long as it’s fun, and “Mortal Kombat” falters by never achieving that.

Anchored by a moving performance from Kelly Marie Tran and outstanding animation in the film’s most action-packed scenes, “Raya and the Last Dragon” has considerable strengths.

There’s no denying the potent emotion of this story about the aftermath of an adoption that asks what it means to be a parent. 

Immeasurable rage simmers below the surface of “Promising Young Woman,” a biting play on the rape-revenge thriller with a deliberately jarring and divisive tonal shift in the third act.

If you don’t think too deeply about it, there’s plenty to celebrate in director Michael Almereyda’s latest venture, “Tesla.”

“Palm Springs” is cunning and nihilistic, romantic and hilarious – a descendent of Bill Murray’s “Groundhog Day” that’s smart enough not to forget it while updating the story in a way that can’t feel too far out there for many of us right now.

Despite the heavy material, “Babyteeth” is so purposefully consumed with the need to live in the moment that it doesn’t so much drag the viewer down as it engulfs us into its emotional orbit.

Anchored by a tremendous performance from newcomer Levan Gelbakihiani as a dance in training named Merab, the film captures moments of magic in what could’ve been a standard coming-of-age drama, allowing the film to transcend genre trappings and surpass expectations.

Inspired by the 2005 Paris riots, “Les Misérables” explores class disparity, totalitarian ego and the impact of violence on youth, soaring in its ambition to tell stories about intimate subjects in the big, broad style of the film’s namesake novel by Victor Hugo.